Would making only one print increase value of photography?

[SchwinnParamount]

Would making only one print increase value of photography?

No, it wouldn't. Because it still doesn't offer an answer to potential customers who ask: "Why should I pay you when I can make a photograph myself?"

That, IMHO, is the deep underlying problem with photography as art. The buying public has been convinced that anyone can do it (Kodak spend a huge amount of time and its vast resources on this and has largely been successful) and therefore it has no value.

Interestingly to me, the buying public doesn't feel the same way about painting when in fact they can also drag a paint brush across canvas. I've heard the above question from the buying public a number of times, but I've never heard the similar question about a painting.

As long as the buying public thinks it could produce Adams' "Clearing Winter Storm" one day (presumably by shear random chance?) they'll never buy it from one of us. And no amount of playing tricksy with editions is going to change that.

BTW, the answer to that question is basically: "Because you didn't make the photograph -- I did." How diplomatically you choose to convey this answer is up to you. :rolleyes:

Even if a member of the general public decided they were going to make their own "Clearing Winter Storm", they would find difficulties significant enough to convince them to put off the effort. In the first place, they would have to be in the right place (easy enough, Highway 41 is highly travelled and there is a parking lot where Ansel made the image), at the right time, and under the right atmospheric conditions. That's not so easy. Ansel lived in the valley and spent a lot of time driving around it looking for the best light and atmosphere.

It can be a matter of being in the right place at the right time. You may have only one chance at the decisive moment. If you've made a photograph of that moment, you are likely the only one who ever will. Were you just lucky? Perhaps. You might also be the kind of person who is aware and living in the present moment... enough to "know" when to put the camera to your eye.

There is only one H.C.B and for a reason.

[df cardwell]

I have done editions .... What it is, is a way for me to limit how much of my time/energy I'll spend on a photograph or project, and it allows me, or forces me to move on. It is the end.

Graeme... yep.

[John Koehrer]

In February of 1945, US Marines were invading a small island in the south Pacific called Iwo Jima. On Feb. 23, 1945, a photographer named Joe Rosenthal photographed US Marines raising a US Flag at the top of Mount Suribatchi. This may be the most widely distributed photo in American History, It has been reproduced countless times. What is the value of this image? I would say that the image of those marines is more widely known than even AA's Moonrise. What is the value of recording History? Priceless.

Photography is not painting. In my opinion, this is a strength and not a weakness.

The photo that's used was a second, staged shot.

[SchwinnParamount]

The photo that's used was a second, staged shot.

The flag raising was "staged" but not for the purposes of photography. The first flag that went up was pretty small and they wanted a larger flag that was more visible on the beaches.

[Aurum]

One print per shot?

Try Polaroid

[Stregone]

Even if a member of the general public decided they were going to make their own "Clearing Winter Storm", they would find difficulties significant enough to convince them to put off the effort. In the first place, they would have to be in the right place (easy enough, Highway 41 is highly travelled and there is a parking lot where Ansel made the image), at the right time, and under the right atmospheric conditions. That's not so easy. Ansel lived in the valley and spent a lot of time driving around it looking for the best light and atmosphere.

It can be a matter of being in the right place at the right time. You may have only one chance at the decisive moment. If you've made a photograph of that moment, you are likely the only one who ever will. Were you just lucky? Perhaps. You might also be the kind of person who is aware and living in the present moment... enough to "know" when to put the camera to your eye.

There is only one H.C.B and for a reason.

There's a great little saying that sums that up very concisely. "Luck favors the prepared"

[SuzanneR]

The photo that's used was a second, staged shot.

I think the confusion over this picture is that Joe Rosenthal made the picture of the flag being raised, then did a posed group shot after. He was in the field when, I believe, an editor somewhere along the chain wanted to ask questions about the picture, and he wasn't sure which picture they were asking about... the flag pic or the second posed group picture where everyone was looking at the camera.

I could well be wrong about this, and, embarrassingly I can't remember which book I read this in, but I don't actually think the "second" picture was a raising the flag pic, but the posed group shot.

[JBrunner]

As I recall there were two flag raised, the first when the hill was taken, and the second, later in the day, when the commander decided he wanted to put up a flag big enough to be seen by every Japanese soldier on the island. I believe the famous shot was from the second flag raising, not staged per say, simply a different occurence that Rosenthal photographed. The accusation of staging the shot came from a mix up about which picture was being discussed, as Suzanne said. There is motion picture footage that exists of the scene that clearly shows the picture was not staged.

[michaelbsc]

There is motion picture footage that exists of the scene that clearly shows the picture was not staged.

I dare say that there were enough distractions going on that day that no one remember to make detailed notes about the exposure the way AA recommends.

We can celebrate the image.

[Ken Nadvornick]

There is motion picture footage that exists of the scene that clearly shows the picture was not staged.

Yep. Very famous footage. And if you click the pause button at *just* the right moment...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ5p55Z0Ev8

Ken